Dallas Downtown Historic District (Boundary Increase)

This boundary increase adds a section of south-east downtown Dallas to an existing historic district. The area, bounded roughly by Jackson, Harwood, Canton and South Ervay Streets, began as a residential neighborhood in the 1880s and was later reshaped by the growth of downtown into a commercial and industrial zone. Its 22 contributing resources, built between 1911 and 1958, include modest one- and two-story commercial buildings, film distribution offices, printing and utility facilities, and prominent church and fraternal buildings such as the Scottish Rite Cathedral and the Masonic Temple. Styles range from Neoclassical and Venetian Gothic to Zigzag Moderne, Art Moderne and mid-century Modern. The Warner Brothers film exchange of 1929 is noted as a leading Zigzag Moderne example and for Robert Johnson's 1937 recording sessions. The area was listed for its local significance in commerce and architecture. Twelve buildings are noncontributing because of age or alteration.